1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of animal feeding and care more particularly to the feeding of domesticated animals. It improves over the method of having to hand feed an animal or having a friend or neighbor tend a pet while the owner is unable to do so because of absence.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
So far as is known, the simple and improved automatic animal feeder described and claimed herein has not been known heretofore.
Prior inventions of this type have not been known heretofore. They have also not been known to solve the problem of feeding and watering an animal at the same time while the animal is unattended.
The improvement resides also in the fact that the food is sealed off from air and weather elements that could deteriorate from the state in which it was purchased and loaded into the holding container before release for feeding the animal.
The invention is also an improvement over the prior art that food can be measured out in quantities to suit the size of the animal that is being fed and it can be dispensed at different or desired times of day according to the needs of the animal.
Another improvement is that fresh water can be dispensed each time fresh food is released, where before a human hand has been needed to supply the water once or twice a day or leave a large container of water out for the animal. Food and water so dispensed frequently gets stale after a day.
Similar devices of this type need much more maintenance required by human hands and water must be supplied from an outside source where the present unit has both food and water self-delivered.
Prior inventions for feeding domesticated animals are of gravity feed types which can allow an animal to feed until all of the food is gone. This oftentimes will cause bloating of the animal and on occasion the animal will vomit. Prior systems have resulted in leaving the animal without additional food for later times or days to come.
This invention relates generally to an improved automatic, timed, adjustable quantity animal feeding device having the ability to dispense feed to unattended animals. It can dispense a predetermined quantity of feed commensurate with dietary requirements of the animal or animals of interest. Still another objective is to provide a means of ready and simple adjustment of the mechanism to the predetermined quantity of feed prior to leaving the animal(s) unattended. It improves the problems of leaving food unsealed to get spoiled from weather and having the problem of bugs such as flies, birds, ants and roaches from getting to the fresh food.
It has the means of supplying fresh water regularly with fresh feed all timed and measured by the size of the animal(s). It can regulate the feeding not to allow an animal to over eat causing sickness or doing without feed in days to come. It has generally solved the problem by a mechanism wherein dry feed is stored and dispensed at predetermined times daily and in selectable quantities and the invention is singularly applicable to home owners and commercial enterprises which keep pets and watch dogs on the premises during the occupant's absence for weekends, vacations, business trips, etc.
Therefore, from the foregoing, it should be understood that objects of this invention include; an improved method of feeding an animal(s) unattended automatically at predetermined times and in predetermined quantities by means of a container having the ability to store and dispense dry feed with fresh water supplied once or twice a day.
A further object of this invention is that it can hold feed of the dry type and of any size in current use. The feed is placed in the hopper in any quantity up to full. At the present time the drive motor is energized by AC or DC current and food is passed between two counter rotating, deeply soft, non-food crushing rollers collecting by gravity into the weighing tray, which when the preset weight is met, which is determined by adjusting a counter weight on a support shaft locked with a lock nut accessible through an access door located in the back of the unit, de-energizes the motor and drops the contents into the delivery chute where the food flows by gravity into the feeding dish. The mechanism then resets itself for the next cycle. During the drive motor energization period, the water control solenoid valve is also energized, allowing water to flow to the drinking water dish and to the feeding dish in quantities predetermined by the adjustment valves.
Another object relates also to methods for providing moistening water for the timed and predetermined quantity of food and as an alternate, a constant drinking water level rather than timed predetermined drinking water quantities.
Another object of this invention is to provide a constant water level in the drinking water dish by yet another means, when desired, and when a pressure water supply system is not available. This accomplished by the means of a removable sealed storage tank appended to the main structure with the tanks relatively small filler neck opening extending down deeply into the water drinking tank. This alternate technique is simpler, therefore, less costly and is suitable for who can handle the weight of the filled tank.
A further objective of this invention is to provide a constant water level in the drinking water dish, when desired, and when a pressure water supply system is not available. This is accomplished by a means of a suitably dimensioned water storage tank appended to the main structure with the passive float-type control valve mechanism contained in the storage tank member and which extends downward suitably far into the drinking water dish to provide float action.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following disclosure in which reference is directed to the attached drawing.